Summer Tongues
by EmilyMarie15
Summary: Bella & Edward meet the summer before college. They instantly dislike each other, but first impressions can change & they begin to fall for each other. But they're keeping secrets & don't realize what happens when secrets kept too long. AH, rated M, OOC
1. Prologue

**BPOV**

Tongues. They're a significant part of the body; the tongue is a key part in producing words. Without one you're basically speechless. Sure there are other ways of communication, but you don't have a voice; a specific sound that's all your own. There are also other uses. Taste, for example. If you're tongue-less how are you to taste your food?

Personally, I've always liked tongues. The way they impact society; 'Speak now or forever hold you peace', 'I forget, but it's on the tip of my tongue', 'Cat got your tongue'. The list goes on and on. One particular one that hits close to home for me happens to be 'You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in the court of law'. Tongues are always talked about, even if people don't realize it.

My first word was 'dad'. That's the tongue's doing right there. You don't even realize it but suddenly your tongue decides to be useful and form a word. A friend of mine's first word was 'shoes' and it's all she talks about still.

And of course there's always the feeling of that certain someone's tongue; pressing against your teeth, tangoing with your own tongue. Watching it as it wets their lips, licks their ice cream. Them proving to you that they can tie a cherry stem in a knot with their tongue. Everything.

My name is Isabella Swan and I like tongues. Specifically, I like Edward Cullen's tongue.


	2. Chapter 1

**BPOV**

"Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy," some one sings… _Rosalie._

"Hey, what up girl?" Emmett joins in. How did they get in my house, let alone my bed room?

"Put my glasses on, I'm out the door – I'm gonna hit this city," Rose keeps singing; now she's bouncing on my bed. I don't think Emmett is though; I hope not.

"Lets go," Emmett says… or 'sing-talks'.

"Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack. Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back. I'm talking - pedicure on our toes, toes. Trying on all our clothes, clothes. Boys blowing up our phones, phones," Rose keeps singing. I really hate this song. No offense to Kesha; I liked it for like a week but then I kept hearing it over, and over, and over, and over again.

"STOP!" I yell. Rose stops jumping and sits on me instead. That's not what I meant!

"Drop-toping, playing our favorite cd's. Pulling up to the parties. Trying to get a little bit tipsy… Don't stop, make it pop. DJ, blow my speakers up. Tonight, Imma fight. Til we see the sunlight. Tick tock, on the clock. But the party don't stop no. Woah-oh oh oh.  
>Woah-oh oh oh. Ain't got a care in the world but got plenty of beer… HEY!" Rose keeps singing, until I grab her off me and pin her down; this time, she's the one being sat on.<p>

"I told you, to stop," I growl.

"Awe, Bella, I thought you liked being serenaded every morning," my friend insists. I glare at her and she chuckles. I look at my alarm clock and gasp. It's my first day of freedom. We've graduated from high school and don't need to go anymore starting today and they wake me up at 8 AM anyways?

"Bitch," I hiss at Rosalie. I feel large arms wrap around my waist and pull me off of Rosalie.

"Oh come on, Bella, it's not Rosie's fault. We're on a mission from Alice," Emmett says.

"Should've guessed Alice was behind this," I say.

"She wants you to come over today. She has a lot planned," Rose says as she stands up and walks over to my closet.

"Eh hem! I can dress myself!" I say, untangling myself from Emmett.

"Okay, okay, just wear the leather jacket and let me do your hair," she says before she pulls Emmett out so I can take a shower in privacy.

I walk into my ensuite and look in the mirror. My eyes aren't red this morning. That doesn't mean that the nightmares didn't come last night. It just means that they didn't keep me awake.

I strip out of my pajamas and turn the water on as hot as I can and step in. I stand there for awhile, just letting the steam build up and the water sting my skin. Then I actually start washing my hair and body. As I do so I think about the nightmares. My therapist says I should reflect upon them when I'm alone and calm. What better place to do that than in the shower?

Last night I had been running. Police sirens in the distance, high pitched buzzing in my ears. I got to my old house, the one I had lived in, in Arizona, and opened the front door. When I went inside it wasn't my house. I had stepped onto a baseball field. My step father, mother and their daughter, my half sister, stood on the pitcher's mound and jeered at me. Faceless people in the crowds screamed words like 'freak', 'shame' and 'criminal'. I put my hands over my ears, but I could still hear them… still hear them.

"Bella!" Rosalie shouts, pounding on the bathroom door. My eyes snap open and I look around myself. I'm sitting on the shower floor, hands over my ears. I think I had been rocking back and forth. I hear a jingling, a click and the door opens.

"Oh Bella," Rose says, opening the shower curtain and seeing me. She shuts the water off and helps me up. Then she wraps a towel around me and lets me cling to her. She may not understand what I'm going through exactly, but at least she knows and is here for me.

"Come on, let's get you dressed," she says, walking me out into my room and sitting me on my bed. I stare at her as she rummages through my closet and pulls out some things for me to choose from.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rose asks fifteen minutes later after I've dressed and am back in the bathroom for her to do my hair.

"I don't know," I say.

"You don't have to," she says. I take a deep breath and tell her about the nightmare. It's not as bad as ones that I've had in the past. But it's still not any where close to a normal, peaceful dream.

"What do you think it means?" Rose asks.

"Probably that I'm still thinking about what those people thought of me after _it _happened, how my mom basically abandoned me and replaced me and my dad," I say, looking down at my finger nails. Rosalie stays quiet, probably trying to digest what I've said.

I moved here two years ago, at the beginning of junior year. I met Alice and she was quick to introduce me to Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper. They were all so amazing and kind. At first, when they asked why I moved to Forks I didn't tell them. It was a touchy subject. Eventually, my therapist told me that I should open up to them. So I did, and they've been accepting and supporting.

"There!" Rosalie exclaims, putting down the curling iron, "Perfect sex hair!"

"Rosalie!" I blush and hit her shoulder. I do have to admit it looks good though.

"Come on, Alice is going to bitch if we're late."

"Mind if I take the bike?"

"Now that sounds like the Bella I know; go, run to him you little sex kitten!"

I roll my eyes at Rosalie's mocking and run downstairs. I grab the essentials; keys, wallet, sunglasses, gum, jacket, helmet.

"Taking Damon, I see," Emmett says, walking over from the kitchen, a blueberry muffin in his hands.

"Mm hmm," I say, trying not to moan at the mention of Damon, my red, Honda VFR motorcycle; named after the dream boat himself, Damon Salvatore. Okay, so technically it's named after Ian Somerhalder, but Emmett and Jasper said I couldn't name a bike like mine Ian.

"When will you let me ride it?" he asked.

"When I die," I say. I'm very protective of my bike. I bought it with the 'pity money' my mom sends me every week so as to not seem like a completely terrible parent.

"Haha," Emmett says.

"Come one, guys, we gotta go," Rosalie says, pushing us out the door. That reminds me of something else I had wanted to know.

"How did you guys get in my house?" I ask.

"Rosie picked the lock," Emmett says. That wouldn't surprise me. Rosalie was an excellent lock pick as demonstrated by her ability to break into my bathroom earlier.

"Shut up, Emmett," Rosalie says. "No, your dad was leaving for work when we got here, so he let us in."

"That makes sense," I say. I open the garage and grin at my bike.

"Hey, Damon, want to go for a ride?" I ask, running my hand along the seat.

"You're creepy," Rose says before she and Emmett walk off to his jeep. "See you at Alice's house!"

"Alright!" I yell back as Emmett starts his car and drives away. I look back at my bike and sigh contently. I zip my leather jacket up and make sure my things are zipped away inside my pockets. Then I pile up my hair and stuff my helmet on. If I get helmet hair, it wouldn't matter much because Alice could fix it in the blink of an eye.

I straddle Damon and try not to think dirty thoughts about a certain Salvatore as I insert my key and start him up. I drive out the driveway and toward Alice's house. On an impulse, I decide to take the long way. It's sunny out today, a nice change from the constant cover of clouds.

Suddenly a silver Volvo pulls out in front of me. I stop a fast as I can, but still manage to hit the front end of the car ever so slightly. I shake my head and close my mouth because I've realized it is open in shock. I turn off Damon and get off and take a step back to inspect everything. I shake my arms and legs individually, checking to make sure I'm fine. Then I go back to check my bike. By then the owner of the damn Volvo has gotten out of his car.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asks, walking over. I hit near the front tire on the passenger side. So I get a chance to look at him while he walks over. He seems well off. _Rich kid_, I think.

"My problem?" I screech. Then I realize that he probably can hardly hear me because I still have my helmet on. I pull it off, frustrated.

"My problem?" I ask again, for a moment he seems surprised; only for a moment.

"Yes, your problem! Didn't you see me coming? You have brakes you know!"

"I'm not the one who didn't stop at that stop sign!"

"What stop sign?" he asks, and I smugly point to the stop sign that he was supposed to stop at but didn't.

"Oh… well I'm new around here, I didn't see it."

"Yeah, well you could have caused a bigger accident than you did and I think my tire needs to be fixed now."

"Well, my car needs to be looked at."

"There's not a scratch on your stupid Volvo!"

"And nothing is wrong with your bike!"

"Argh!" I throw my hands up and put my helmet back on, not even bothering tucking up my hair. I get on my bike and throw up the visor of my helmet.

"Learn how to drive, jerk," I say before backing up and driving away. Great, the arrogant bastard got me pissed off. I drive the rest of the way to Alice's house, not even enjoying it. Instead I'm fuming. When I get there I park and rush inside.

"You're late, Bella!" Alice says, meeting me at the door and taking my helmet.

"I got in an accident," I growl, stalking toward the kitchen where I know our friends will be.

"Oh no, is the bike okay?" Jasper asks. Rosalie punches him on the arm.

"Ow, stupid sister," Jasper mutters. I smile, Rose and Jasper are twins and even though they act like they can't tolerate each other at all, they love each other.

"So anyways, what happened?" Alice asks, pouring me a glass of iced tea.

"Some idiot didn't see a stop sign and caused me to hit him. It wasn't drastic and there wasn't even damage, but he was an asshole about it."

"That sucks," Alice says.

"People are stupid," Emmett says, we all look at him with raised eye brows.

"What?" he asks, Rosalie laughs and kisses his cheek.

"Got any Starburst?" I ask Alice.

"Obviously," she says, walking to her pantry. "I wouldn't not have them if I knew you were coming over."

I grab the bag and pluck out an orange one. I stick the whole thing in my mouth, wrapper and all.

"It weirds me out when you do that," Jasper says, everyone's watching me. I shrug and maneuver the Starburst in my mouth, until I've unwrapped the whole thing. I pull out the wrapper and Emmett claps.

"How the hell do you manage to do that?" he asks.

"It's all in the tongue," I say. I like tongues, they fascinate me. No, I don't do weird things with my tongue, like pierce it or get the tip slit in two. Nor do I eat tongues. It's just a very important muscle in the body that I've always liked for some odd reason.

"It's still weird," Jasper says, as I finish chewing the orange Starburst and swallow it and begin the process all over again with a cherry flavored one.

"You're just jealous, Jazz," says Rosalie.

"Whatever," Jasper says, smiling and ruffling Rose's hair. She glares at him for a moment and then smiles. A few minutes later and I hear Alice's front door open. Alice squeals and runs off to greet whoever it must be.

"Her cousin is visiting," Emmett says, answering my questioning look.

"Come in, come in, everyone's in the kitchen," I hear Alice say.

"Sorry I'm so late, Ali, I had a little delay," her cousin says. I hear them walking toward the kitchen.

"Really? What happened?"

"I was in an accident with a crazy lady who tried to pin the blame on me."

"That's horrible," Alice says. "Hey guys, this is my cousin, Edward."

"Hey," Jasper says. I reach into the bag for another Starburst.

"Edward, this is Emmett, Rosalie, my boyfriend Jasper and Bella," Alice says, upon hearing my name I suppose I should turn around and say hello to this newcomer.

So I turn around and who do I see? The arrogant Volvo driving jerk. My mouth drops in shock, and his expression seems to mirror my own.

"You," he says, recovering first.

"You," I retort, not thinking of anything clever.

"You… guys know each other?" Alice asks.

"Alice, let me introduce you to the asshole that caused me to get in an accident," I say, glaring at Edward.

"Alice, this is the crazy bitch I was talking about who is blaming me for the accident," Edward says. I hear booming laughter from behind me.

"This is going to be an interesting summer," Emmett says.

* * *

><p><strong>Feedback time! Did you guys like it? I'm going to continue, but it might be awhile. So, in the meantime let me know what you thought. Twilight, Starbursts and Honda VFR motorcycles are not mine. Neither is Damon SalvatoreIan Somerhalder (sadly). Thanks for reading.**

**~EM~**

**p.s. I can unwrap a Starburst in my mouth. I dare you guys to try… just don't choke on a wrapper or anything.**


	3. Chapter 2

**EPOV**

I was already running late, and now I'm lost. This is just peachy, really. That was sarcasm, people; learn to recognize it. In reality, Alice will probably kill me for being late. She'll give me a lecture on punctuality and how some people have plans that require other people to be on time. In my defense I haven't been in Forks since I was twelve and back then I wasn't driving anyways.

I'm glad I'm driving now; I love it. As soon as I got my Volvo my friends told me I had to name it. So I started to brainstorm. Naturally I turned to music. Finally I remembered a story my dad told me once about B.B King; he named all of his guitars 'Lucille'. So the Volvo was dubbed 'Lucille'. My friends laughed at that, but I wouldn't change my mind.

I turn up my music and pay attention to the road.

_Well she was just seventeen  
>you know what I mean<br>and the way she looked  
>was way beyond compare.<em>

_So how could I dance with another_  
><em>oh when I saw her standing there?<em>

Ah, The Beatles; pure bliss.

Suddenly, I see a red motorcycle come flying toward me out of the corner of my eye. I slam on my brake and so does the driver of the bike. He gets off and starts checking himself. I turn off Lucille, my precious Volvo; it better not be damaged.

I get out of the car and walk over. "What the hell is your problem?" I ask. The guy just stands there for a moment. I hear him say something but the helmet muffles it.

"My problem?" the person asks, taking their helmet off. I stare for moment, I hadn't expected this person to be a girl; a hot girl, too. Too bad she's a horrible driver.

"Yes, your problem! Didn't you see me coming? You have brakes you know!" I say.

"I'm not the one who didn't stop at that stop sign!"

"What stop sign?" I ask, and she points to a stop sign that I apparently ran. I glance at the road she was on, she didn't have a stop sign.

"Oh… well I'm new around here, I didn't see it," I try to justify my stupidity. _Key word 'stupidity'_, my rational, mature side thinks. My egotistical inner kid locks him in a closet.

"Yeah, well you could have caused a bigger accident than you did and I think my tire needs to be fixed now."

"Well, my car needs to be looked at."

"There's not a scratch on your stupid Volvo!"

"And nothing is wrong with your bike!"

"Argh!" she throws her hands up and puts my helmet back on. I try not to think dirty things about her as she straddles the bike. Before she leaves she flips up her visor and says, "Learn how to drive, jerk."

I stand there, dumbfounded. My inner kid lets 'rational me' out of the closet and three of us stare at her retreating figure in shock. I grumble my way back to my Volvo and start her up.

How could that crazy bitch blame the whole accident on me? Yeah, maybe I did run a stop sign, but I would bet one hundred bucks that she was speeding. Now I'll be later than I already was. Way to get me pissed off, psycho.

Finally I see a familiar house and park in the drive way. I look at the directions I had scribbled down; 'number 24'. I look at the house. It's number 24 alright. I take a deep breath and turn the car off. I get out, and walk up to the front door. I talked to Alice about a half hour ago when I entered Forks. She said to just come in. It looks like she has company. I walk up the steps and open the door.

"Come in, come in, everyone's in the kitchen," Alice says, running over from somewhere off in the house.

"Sorry I'm so late, Ali, I had a little delay," I say, the memory of the accident coming back. The psychotic chick really pissed me off.

"Really? What happened?" Alice asks, giving me a 'hello hug' and then leading me toward her kitchen. I vaguely remember the lay-out of the house. But it may have taken me awhile to find the kitchen on my own.

"I was in an accident with a crazy lady who tried to pin the blame on me," I say. I should just put it behind me. It's not like I'll ever see her again.

"That's horrible," Alice says. "Hey guys, this is my cousin, Edward."

"Hey," a blonde guy, sitting at a barstool says. We're in Alice's kitchen now. It looks really different; I bet they remodeled. A girl and guy sit at the counter, both blonde; they look related. A big guy with dark hair stands behind the blonde girl, a hand on her shoulder. A girl with wavy brown hair leans on the counter across from them. She doesn't sit, which isn't that bad because she has a pretty nice ass. Too bad I can't see her face.

"Edward, this is Emmett, Rosalie, my boyfriend Jasper and Bella," Alice says, gesturing to the people as she says their names. When the brunette hears her name she finally straightens up and turns around.

My mouth drops open and so does hers. I hadn't been expecting to see the motorcycle girl ever again. So why is it that she's here, in my cousin's kitchen, two feet away from me? I narrow my eyes and shut my mouth. That bitch will pay for telling me to learn to drive.

"You," I say. _Smooth_, my mature side says; 'inner kid' threatens to lock him in the closet again.

"You," Bella says back. My inner kid smirks at my mature self. She couldn't think of something better either. I think we're both in shock still.

"You… guys know each other?" Alice asks.

"Alice, let me introduce you to the asshole that caused me to get in an accident," Bella says, glaring at me. I can't believe this; if I was only mad at first, I'm furious now.

"Alice, this is the crazy bitch I was talking about who is blaming me for the accident," I say, returning a glare that I hope is just as evil.

"This is going to be an interesting summer," Emmett says, laughing.

"Shut up, stupid," Rosaline… no… _Rosalie_ says as she smacks him upside the head.

"So, you guys were in an accident… with each other?" Alice asks.

"Obviously," I hiss.

"Yes," Bella says, not breaking her gaze. If I didn't think she was such an insane bitch I'd be extremely turned on by her right now. She's wearing a slightly unzipped leather jacket, skinny jeans and combat boots; and boy do I like me the brunettes. 'Inner kid' slaps my mature self so he'll stop drooling.

"Want Emmett and Jasper to help you bring your bags in?" Alice asks me, sensing the tension. I shrug and walk back toward the front door. I honestly don't know if I was going to argue with that chick or jump her bones. I shake my head at the thought.

"He's staying here!" one of the girls… probably Bella, screeches before I even shut the door behind me.

"Nice car, man," Jasper says. I didn't notice Emmett and him follow me.

"Her name is Lucille," I say, opening the trunk to get my luggage.

"B.B. King fan?" Jasper asks. I stare at him in shock for a moment and then nod my head.

"Dude, how much crap did you bring?" Emmett asks.

"I'm staying the whole summer, and I wasn't sure how the weather would be… also, Alice will die if I wear the same thing twice," I say.

"Or he's just gay," Emmett whispers really loudly to Jasper. I glare at him and Jasper laughs.

"You're gonna have to get used to him, man, it's just his nature," he says, nodding his head at Emmett before grabbing a suitcase.

We manage to split everything up between the three of us so that we don't have to come back again. Then we walk back up to the house.

"So, you don't like Bella much, huh?" Emmett asks.

"Humph," I grunt, rolling my eyes as I think of my encounters with Bella. Neither has lasted more than three minutes and both have aggravated me more than I've been in the past year.

"Cut the shit, I saw you staring at her ass when you walked in," Jasper says. I look at him, he's smirking.

"That was before I knew it was her," I say; Jasper rolls his eyes and I narrow mine.

As we walk up the steps Rosalie opens the front door for us. Emmett goes first and gives her a swift kiss as he walks past. I had a feeling that they were together. That's fine with me, blonds aren't my style.

Alice suddenly appears, directing us upstairs to the guest room. I don't see Bella anywhere. However, she couldn't have left with out us seeing her; unless she's leaving while we're bringing up my bags. That doesn't seem like something she would do though.

"Come down when you're ready," Alice says, leaving me alone in my room with my things. I walk into the ensuite and splash my face a little. I look in the mirror, my mom's green eyes stare back at me.

"_Behave yourself, boy," Dad said as I was about to start to drive to Alice's. He gave me a quick hug, only to be replaced by Mom. She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear._

"_And if you don't behave… you best not get caught," she said and then she gave me a kiss on the cheek and let me go._

Honestly, my mom scares the hell out of me. Esme Cullen is a force to be reckoned with. I don't know why I do some of the things I do, even when I know just how much my mom will punish me if she were to find out. I leave my room, smiling at memories of pranks I've pulled with my friends from back home. It's amazing that I got my scholarship, really.

"Emmett, just put it down, you suck," Jasper says as I get to the bottom step. I follow the voices until I've arrived in the 'chilling' room. That's what we used to call it when we were younger. It's a big room, with three couches, a large screen TV and pool table. I'm slowly starting to remember where everything is.

"But, Jazz, I'm going to start a one man band. Therefore, I must practice," Emmett says.

I see him sitting on the couch with Alice's Dad's, my uncle's, old acoustic guitar. I try not to laugh when he tries to play it. It's a sad attempt on my part. I end up making a sound somewhere between a laugh and a snort. All heads turn in my direction.

"Well don't just stand there, Eddy, come in," Alice says. I hear laughter from one of the couches. I look there and am not surprised to see Bella is the one laughing.

"What?" I snap at her. She's lounging on the couch, a bag of Starburst in her lap.

"Nothing… Eddy," she says smirking.

"Ahaha," I 'fake laugh' and walk over to her couch. I pick up her feet and swing them off the couch so she has to sit. Then I sit down where her feet were and stretch, waving an arm in her face.

"Bastard," Bella snarls, getting up, I shrug and grab her bag of Starburst. Everyone gasps, like I've done something terrible. Bella just stares at me, unblinking. I take a handful and return the bag to her. I swear she growls before she goes and sits between Rosalie and Alice.

"Well anyways, tell me what you guys think of this," Emmett says, strumming something on the guitar. Even I don't know what he's trying to do. I laugh again, not even blocking it this time.

"Like you could do better," Emmett says to me. I raise an eyebrow and unwrap a Starburst. I pop it in my mouth and extend a hand. Emmett hesitantly gets up and hands me the guitar. Alice leans forward, smirking because she knows what's going to happen.

I feel the strings of the guitar. I remember it. I exhale through my nose and close my eyes. I'm about to start when Alice interrupts.

"Wait!" she squeals, "sing, too."

I glare at her for a moment and swallow my Starburst. Then I return my concentration to the guitar. It's waiting patiently. I smile and begin.

"Where it began, I can't begin to knowing , but then I know it's growing strong. Was in the spring, and spring became the summer. Who'd believe you'd come along. Hands, touching hands, reaching out; Touching me, touching you. Oh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good. I've been inclined to believe it never would . Oh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good. I've been inclined to believe it never would oooh oh no no."

Everyone stares at me. I try to gauge their reactions. Rosalie is smiling and so is Jasper. Alice has a 'shit eating grin' on her face and Emmett seems shocked. Bella… Bella just stares. I can't tell what she's thinking at all. There's a blank expression on her face. Finally she stands, and leaves the room, taking the Starburst with her.

"What's her problem?" I ask.

"That song hits a sore spot for her," Rosalie says quietly. My inner kid is pleased that I've upset the she devil. My mature side locks him in the closet.

"Oh," I say.

"I'll go check on her," Jasper says.

"So anyways," Alice says, tactfully changing the subject. "It was really good Edward, you've gotten so much better since I last heard you play."

"Thanks, Ali," I say.

"Yeah, it was really good," Rosalie says.

"Wanna join my band?" Emmett asks. I laugh and hand the guitar back to him.

"You should, Eddy, you can play all the instruments and Emmett can do the singing," Alice says.

"All the instruments?"

"Of course, you play, like, sixty."

"We're back," Jasper says, returning with Bella following behind him; she doesn't look at me. When she sits down she stares at her Starbursts and I try not to stare at her. Are those tear tracks on her face?

"So do you really play sixty instruments?" Emmett asks.

"No," I scoff, "Alice is just exaggerating."

"So how many is it?" Rosalie asks.

"Just six," I say, Emmett goes wide-eyed.

"Oh, _just _six, no big deal," he says. Jasper laughs at him and I can't help smiling. Jasper was right, being funny is in Emmett's nature.

"What do you play?" Rosalie asks.

"He plays the guitar, piano, drums, saxophone, bass guitar and banjo," Alice says.

"Banjo?" Bella asks, finally looking up, only to raise an eye brow and smirk. I had been feeling bad for her, but she's making me rethink that.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: anything above that sounds vaguely familiar; it's probably because I don't own it.<strong>

**Well, here's another chapter, I hoped you all enjoyed it. thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter, too. I'm going to try to update once a week. So, that probably means every Friday, considering that's what today is. Thanks for reading, reviews motivate me… make me write faster. ;)**

**~EM~**

**p.s. Did you like the Edward POV? I think the story will be in both Bella POV and Edward POV but I'm not sure if it'll alternate every other chapter or be at random.**

**p.s.s. There's a banner for this story on my profile. There are also the outfits Bella and Edward wear in these past two chapters.**


	4. Chapter 3

**BPOV**

Edward and I have a staring match, for about a half hour before we say anything. He was pissed after I made fun of him for playing the banjo. Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmett just went on as if nothing was happening. I just ate my Starburst and glared at him. In turn, he glared at me. Our concentration was broken when Alice started squealing about karaoke.

"Belly Button, sing for us!" she says, jumping up and down in front of me.

"Belly Button?" Edward sneers.

"No, Alice," I say, pushing her out of my way so Edward can effectively see me give him the bird.

"Then I'm taking your Starburst!"

"Alice!"

"Isabella Swan, you are not allowed any more Starburst for the rest of the day."

"Please give them back?"

"Please sing for us?"

"For you."

"Sure… for me."

"Fine," I say, grabbing the bag from her. I'll sing for Alice. Heck, I'll sing for Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett. I _won't_ sing for Edward.

"Don't worry darlin' I have plenty of girls to sing for me," Edward says. I throw a pillow at him, hating that he figured out what I was thinking and hating his cocky attitude.

"Asshole," I growl.

"Just ignore him, sweetie, sing for me," Rose says. I look at her, at my friends. This is part of my therapy; singing relieves the tension, anxiety and sadness. I realize that they thought my staring match with Edward wasn't helping my 'mental instability' and that's why they have resorted to this.

"Fine," I say, closing my eyes and thinking for a moment.

~*!*~

_I let it fall, my heart  
>And as it fell, you rose to claim it<br>It was dark and I was over  
>Until you kissed my lips and you saved me<br>My hands, they were strong, but my knees were far too weak  
>To stand in your arms without falling to your feet<em>

_But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew  
>All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true<br>And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win  
><em>  
><em>But I set fire to the rain<br>Watched it pour as I touched your face  
>Well, it burned while I cried<br>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name_

_When laying with you I could stay there  
>Close my eyes, feel you here forever<br>You and me together, nothing is better_

_'Cause there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew  
>All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true<br>And the games you's play, you would always win, always win_

_But I set fire to the rain  
>Watched it pour as I touched your face<br>Well, it burned while I cried  
><em>  
><em>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name<br>I set fire to the rain  
>And I threw us into the flames<br>When we fell, something died  
>'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time<em>

_Sometimes I wake up by the door  
>That heart you caught must be waiting for you<br>Even now when we're already over  
>I can't help myself from looking for you<em>

_I set fire to the rain  
>Watched it pour as I touch your face<br>Well, it burned while I cried  
>'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name<br>I set fire to the rain  
>And I threw us into the flames<br>When we fell, something died  
>'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh<br>Oh, no  
>Let it burn, oh<br>Let it burn  
>Let it burn<em>

~*!*~

"Super, duper, Bella," Alice says, smiling when I finish. I roll my eyes and unwrap a Starburst, with my hands; Emmett gasps.

"You're not doing it the special way?" he asks.

"No," I say.

"What's the special way?" Edward asks. I look at him. For the first time since we met we're not arguing with or glaring at each other.

"She can unwrap them in her mouth," Emmett says. Edward smirks, if he wasn't such a pain in the ass, I might find him sexy. Oh screw it; I think he's sexy anyways.

"Is that all?" Edward asks; never mind, he's not sexy anymore… that arrogant son of a bitch.

"Yes," I say, glaring at him.

"Well any who… I was thinking we could play truth or dare," Alice says a moment later. I look away from her stupid cousin and grin at her.

"Yes!" Emmett and I cheer.

"Oh God, help me," Jasper mutters.

Five minutes later we've pushed aside the couches and are sitting on the floor in a circle. We figured that Alice could start since it was her idea. Who ever her victim is will go next. I'm already contemplating the dare ideas in my head; so many to choose from.

"Jazz," Alice begins, "truth or dare?"

"Truth," Jasper says.

"Party pooper!" Emmett hollers.

"Did you really experiment with your friend Peter at summer camp?" Alice asks. Jasper goes 'wide eyed' and I think he's in shock.

"No! What gave you that idea?" he asks, but doesn't even need Alice to answer because Rosalie bursts out laughing.

"I know where you sleep," Jasper threatens her.

"I know where you sleep, too, oh brother of mine," Rose challenges back and Jasper's shoulders haunch in defeat. He wouldn't do anything to Rose, but she… well she may do something to him if provoked.

"Emmett, truth or dare?" Jasper asks.

"Dare!"

"Listen to a Justin Bieber song."

"Never!"

"Then you forfeit!"

"…fine."

"This is low," I whisper as Alice gets the iPod and hands it to Emmett. He's being forced to use the head phones; none of us wan to be tortured like that. After the song is over, Emmett rips out the head phones and throws the iPod back to Alice.

"Why is there even Bieber on your iPod?" Edward asks her.

"It's a torture method," she says, grinning. "You're turn, Emmett."

"Alice, truth or dare?" Emmett asks.

"Truth," Alice says. I know she likes to start with 'truth' first. It's a habit of hers.

"Have you made out with Rose?" Emmett asks.

"Yep," Alice says without hesitation; Jasper begins choking on the mouthful of Coke he had just drunk.

"Holy shit, really?" Emmett asks, looking to Rose for confirmation.

"Uh huh," Rose says.

"Will you now?" Emmett asks.

"That would be a dare, Emmett… and it's not your turn anymore," Alice says, grinning. "Edward, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Edward says.

"You're all pansies," Emmett mutters.

"Was the car accident your fault?" Alice asks. I grin at Alice. I'll have to thank her later.

"No," Edward says. Okay, maybe not. He's lying! Lying, I tell you!

"Liar," I hiss.

"Psycho," he retorts. I don't say anything back. That's what people called me when _it_ happened. Alice pats my shoulder, comforting me so I don't throw a fit.

"Your turn, Edward," she says, quietly.

"Rosalie, truth or dare?" Edward asks.

"Dare, and you can call me Rose."

"Okay Rose; kiss Alice."

"Woo hoo!" Emmett cheers, high-fiving Edward. Alice rolls her eyes.

"Really Edward?" she asks.

"It seemed like Emmett wanted to see it," Edward says, shrugging as Jasper stares at his sister as she crawls across the circle to his girlfriend.

Rosalie takes Alice's face in her hands and kisses her; and holy shit, it looks like they really have done it before. I swear I see tongue involved. When Rose pulls away she grins at Emmett and licks her lips. I swear Alice leans over and whispers 'you could learn a few things from her' to Jasper.

"Bella, truth or dare?" Rose asks, stopping my laughter at Jasper's expression. I know Alice was joking about what she said; it seems like Jasper thinks she's serious though.

"Dare," I say, confidently.

"Pole dance," Rosalie says.

"What the fuck!" I ask.

"Do it… unless… you're chicken."

"I'm not chicken."

"Prove it."

I stand up and look at my friends faces, looking at me expectantly. Rosalie makes a fake cluck noise and I glare at her. I take a deep breath and make my way over to the pole. Alice thinks of everything. When her parents asked why she wanted the pole she told them it was necessary for an entertaining game of truth or dare. They were just happy she didn't want to pursue a career stripping.

"Cluck," Rosalie says, after I stand there, staring at the pole for a moment.

"Shut up," I say, starting the dance. It's easy enough, but it makes me nervous. Whenever we play truth or dare, I get the less provocative dares. I've only used the pole when alone with Alice and Rose. Jasper and Emmett have never even been here. So don't even get me started about Edward being in the room too.

"Sexy bitch," Alice says, slapping my butt as I walk by her to sit down.

"Stop, Ali," I say, smirking at Rose and sticking my tongue out at her.

"Edward, truth or dare?" I ask after I sit back down.

"No, I didn't see that coming," he says sarcastically. "Dare."

"Kiss Emmett," I say, Alice bursts out laughing and Edward stares at me.

"Unless you're chicken," I say.

"I'm not."

"Then do it."

"I will."

"Then why aren't you getting up? Run to him!"

"Um, Bella, I object," Emmett says as Edward gets up and walks over to him.

"This doesn't concern you Emmett."

"It kind of does, Bells."

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Ew…"

"This hurts me more than it hurts you," Edward says, grimacing at Emmett and getting close to him. I think he's actually going to do it, until he grabs Emmett's hand, kisses his finger and goes back to his spot.

"Fucking cheater," I mumble.

"Technically, it's not cheating, you just said 'kiss'," Alice says, "you never specified where." Edward sticks his tongue out at me. Maybe I should chop it off. That way I won't have to listen to his annoying voice.

"Jasper, truth or dare," Edward says.

"Dare."

"Drink toilet water."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"I forfeit."

"Gets them every time," Edward says, blowing on his knuckles and brushing them on his shirt. I have the urge to slap him.

"So, you ask someone again, Edward," Alice says.

"Rosalie, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Shave your head."

"You monster!"

"So, are you going to do it or not?"

"Never!" Rosalie cries, clutching her blond locks. The poor thing; he found her weakness.

"Then you must say it."

"I forfeit."

"Very well… Alice, truth or dare."

"Truth," Alice says.

"Did you wet the bed that night at the lake house?" Edward asks. Alice turns bright red and nods her head.

"Emmett, truth or dare?" Alice asks after Edward stops laughing.

"Dare," Emmett says.

"Spell 'enzyme'," Alice says.

"What's an enzyme?"

"Just spell it."

"E-N-Z-I-M."

"Fail!"

"That's not fair, targeting me with your fancy words!"

"You're out Emmett, deal with it," Rosalie says, still stroking the tips of her hair.

"You and your cousin play dirty," Emmett says, glaring at Alice; Rosalie and Jasper nod in agreement.

"So what?" Alice says, before turning to me and asking, "truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Did you kiss Jake?"

"Almost."

"Almost! What? Give me details!"

"Nope, you didn't ask for details." Alice glares and so I ask her, "truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Cut your credit cards."

"That's evil."

"Well? Are you going to or not?"

"Of course not; I forfeit." It must be a cold day in Hell, because Alice has actually forfeited in truth or dare. She always goes down fighting.

"That leaves you," I say, smirking at Edward, "truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to call Mike Newton and tell him you want to have his babies."

"Who's Mike Newton?"

"Some creepy kid from school," Alice says. "When we were younger he used to draw pictures of animals and people… getting jiggy with it."

"Gross."

"Yep," Alice says, pulling out her phone and calling Mike from restricted; she tosses it to Edward. "Have fun."

"Speaker phone," I say. Edward presses the button in time for us to hear Mike answer.

"Hullo?" Emmett snickers at how Mike says 'hello' and Rose slaps his arm.

"Mike?" Edward asks.

"Yes?" Mike asks, I can just picture him at his house, drawing his creepy pictures.

"I want to have your babies," Edward says; his voice low and very, _very_ sexy. He instantly hangs up and throws Alice's phone back to her. Emmett is laughing, lying on the floor and clutching his sides.

"Truth or dare?" Edward asks me.

"Truth," I say.

"Why did _Sweet Caroline_ upset you?"

"There are some bad memories associated with it."

"Oh."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Why do you care?" I ask, looking at Edward while he contemplates my question.

"Pass," he says.

"Bella is victorious!" Emmett woops; Alice jumps up to get us a snack and Jasper follows to help her get more drinks. I just stare at Edward, not sure if I love my victory. I had wanted him to answer.

* * *

><p><strong>So was that enjoyable everyone? Song wasn't mine. It was 'Set Fire To The Rain' by Adele. I suggest listening to it. Twilight doesn't belong to me, also.<strong>

**Quick question before I go. Should there be a lemon? I was kind of intending to have one, but I'd love your guy's opinion. I'll put a poll up on my profile. Or just let me know through a review if you'd rather not o to my profile. Thanks for reading.**

**~EM~**


	5. Chapter 4

**EPOV**

Bella left shortly after our game of truth or dare ended. She mumbled something about an appointment and everyone just nodded and let her leave. No questions asked; nothing. That really bothered me. Soon after Rosalie and Jasper said they had to leave to get ready for dinner with there grandparents. Emmett, being their ride, left too.

That leaves me with Alice. Dear Lord what did I do wrong?

"So, Eddy, how's life?" Alice asks, picking up empty soda cans.

"Can't complain… how's Cynthia?"

"She's as much a brat as usual. She's still in school though, what with Seniors getting out early and all. So you won't see too much of her until they get out in two weeks."

"Pity."

"You just want a fellow ginger to hang out with," Alice says; I stare at her, and don't respond.

Alice's mother, Elizabeth, is my mom's sister; twin actually. They have the same red/bronze hair; except Mom's eyes are green and Aunt Liz's are blue. Cynthia has her mom's hair and dad's brown eyes. So Alice's 'ginger' comment is basically true. Cynthia and I look like we could be siblings.

"Well anyways," I say, "what's for supper?"

"Escargots."

"Funny."

"I'm serious… Mom is on a 'French kick'."

"So we really have to eat snails?"

"We don't have to. There will be another dish, but they'll be there to try."

"Ick."

"Tell me about it."

~*!*~

"Dinner was great, Aunt Liz," I say, picking my plate up off the table; Cynthia makes a face and Alice swats at her.

"Edward, you're so grown up, please, feel free to call me Liz," she says as she walks into the kitchen with more dirty dishes; not noticing Cynthia making gagging gestures toward the platter of left over snails.

"Uh, okay… Liz," I say, feeling awkward.

"You kids go enjoy yourselves," Uncle Peter says, taking my plate from my hands. He's insisting that I call him 'Peter' now.

"Yes, Daddy," Alice says, grabbing my hand and running to the 'chilling room'.

"You didn't really like that goop did you?" Cynthia asks when we take up spots on the couches.

"It wasn't bad," I say.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Alice offers.

"So how's school Cynthia?" I ask, trying to change the subject from our interesting dinner.

"It sucks."

"You're a Sophomore right?"

"Yeah, I'll be a Junior next year."

"No, we thought you were going to be a Freshman," Alice says, rolling her eyes and muttering something about 'stating the obvious'. Cynthia throws a pillow at her.

"Shut up, stupid sister," Cynthia says, "you're going to be a Freshman."

"Yeah in college," Alice argues.

"What college would that be, Ali?" I ask, tactfully deciding to change the subject.

"I'm going to the University of Washington in Seattle; what about you?"

"Berklee College of Music, in Boston."

"So you got the scholarship?"

"Uh huh."

"How do Esme and Carlisle feel about it?"

"They're ecstatic; both of them being from Boston, they couldn't be happier."

"It's gonna be weird not living in Chicago, huh?"

"Yeah, but I've been working myself up to it. We have the apartment in Boston, anyways so Mom and Dad will visit a lot. Plus, Masen is still at BC."

"Of course. He'll be a Senior right?"

"Yep."

Alice turns on the television and I sit back and pretend to watch the show. It's not very interesting for me. Something about a secret life of a teenager; I don't know. Cynthia and Alice keep arguing during the commercials about how this girl Amy should be with Ben or Ricky. Alice says Ben, Cynthia says Ricky; I say who the hell cares?

I think about my brother, Masen. I'm taller than him, but just barely. He got all his looks from Dad; the blonde hair, the blue eyes. People are shocked when they find out we're even related. There are similarities, of course. We have the same smirk and the same knack for not always doing what we're supposed to. He's at Boston College on scholarship, playing football for the Eagles; running back.

That's why I needed to get my scholarship. We have enough money to pay for me to go to Berklee. But the childish part of me needed to get the scholarship, and have some of the attention directed at me, and not Masen. It felt so good to have dinner not spent talking about Masen's latest achievement.

~*!*~

"We'll be there in two weeks," Mom says.

"Okay," I respond, brushing my hair with one hand, holding my phone with the other.

"Masen is coming."

"Huh?"

"Your brother is coming."

"Why?"

"He wants to. He says he hasn't seen Alice, Cynthia, Liz or Peter and wants to spend some time with them. Plus he misses his little brother."

"Misses giving me wedgies."

"He hasn't given you a wedgie since he graduated from high school."

"Yeah because he hasn't been around often enough."

"Do you want me to let him give you a wedgie?"

"No ma'am."

"Then stop complaining."

"Alright."

"Good night, Edward."

"Good night Mom, tell Dad I say good night, too."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too."

I hang up my phone and start brushing my teeth. Mom called right when I started getting ready to go to bed. It's like she has telepathy and knew that it was the perfect time to say 'goodnight'. I turn off the lights and climb into bed. It's not like my bed at home, but it's as comfortable as I remember. I nuzzle into the pillow and smell something sweet. It's like strawberries.

~*!*~

I stand in the shower, with the water as hot as it goes. My dream last night scared the fucking hell out of me. So I guess that means it was a nightmare, right?

It started with Masen giving me wedgies so hard that I flew out of my pants and landed in a large classroom at Berklee; in just my underwear. Where the professor and students proceeded to point and laugh. I ran out, got in my Volvo and started to drive. A red motorcycle appeared out of no where and crashed into me. The driver was face-lace, except for a mouth with pointed teeth. I ran from the crash site and into a field of strawberries. I started to sink into the strawberries like it was quicksand.

Sounds stupid, I know. However, it terrified me. I think that the reason it scared me is mostly due to how real it all seemed. The creepiest part was the motorcycle driver. I had expected it to be Bella. Instead there was just that monstrous mouth with the pointy teeth; almost like it wanted to eat me up our tear me apart.

I get dressed and walk downstairs. A picture hanging in the hall way of Alice picking strawberries when she was younger makes me shudder.

"Edwardo?" Alice asks.

"Uh huh?" I ask, looking up from my bowl of cereal. It's Special K… with strawberries.

"We have different cereal, if you want it," she says. I jump out of my seat before she even finishes. Aunt Liz had poured us the cereal before she ran out the door, muttering something about a meeting.

"What's wrong with Special K, anyways?" Alice asks as I rummage through the cupboard.

"Had a creepy dream about strawberries last night." I find the Trix and pour myself a large helping.

"A nightmare about strawberries?"

"Well part of it involved strawberries, I was sinking in a pit of them." I sit back down and tell her about the whole dream. Around the part when the motorcycle shows up she grins, like something obvious has dawned on her.

"I forgot to change the pillow case," she says when I finish.

"Pillow case?"

"In the guest room."

"Bella slept over last week end, and I bet I changed the sheets but not the pillow case. That's why it smelled like strawberries, because that's the smell of Bella's shampoo. So it triggered you to have a dream involving the strawberries and Bella as well."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"It's obvious."

"It's ridiculous."

"Whatever you say, Edward," Alice says, putting her bowl in the dishwasher and going upstairs. My cousin is crazy; that's the only thing that's obvious to me.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys. *guilty wave* So yeah, I know I said I was going to update every Friday and I know yesterday was Friday. But I was WICKED sick. I was so sick that I went to the school nurse and my mom came and got me. That's a big deal considering I've never gone to the nurse at my school. I had no idea what to do, but she was nice at least. Turns out I had a fever; I feel better now though, just have a really sore throat (I'm living on cough drops). I tried writing some of this yesterday but my head hurt too much and I just felt like it would be a jumbled mess. So I waited a day.<strong>

**I hope I made up for the day-late-update with a good chapter. I'll be back to posting on Fridays after this. So, updating won't change to Saturdays now because of this one time.**

**~EM~**


	6. Chapter 5

**BPOV**

I drive home, sullenly. My appointment with my therapist didn't go well. To think, I left Alice's house for that. I should have just skipped. But then Sue would've called Dad and I didn't want to deal with that. Don't get me wrong, I love Sue Clearwater and she's actually been really good for my dad. I think he has a crush on her.

I turn up the radio and hum along to Taylor Swift. Her anger songs are my favorite. I do like her sweet songs, though. If I had to pick I would say I like _Should've Said No_. The basic idea is that she was cheated on, she found out and now he disgusts her. I can relate to that; the people disgusting you.

Pulling onto my street, I see the kitchen light is on. Dad's cruiser isn't in the drive way though. That means two things. I either forgot to turn it off before leaving this morning. Or, someone is here. Upon noticing the Volkswagen Rabbit in the drive way I figure someone is here. I smile, knowing exactly who that someone is.

"Bella," Jake says, coming out side as soon as I pull into the drive way.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" I ask, giving him a hug. His dad and mine are best friends and go fishing nearly every weekend. That's usually when I see Jake; not in the middle of the week.

"I came to issue a formal invitation." Jake smiles down at me and I wonder for the hundredth time how he got so tall, so fast.

"To what?" I ask as we walk inside.

"I'm throwing a party next week. I want you to come. Alice and everyone can come also, of course," he says. Jake lives in La Push on the Quileute reservation. He didn't go to school with us, but I introduced him to Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett.

"I'll let them know. I'll also have to check with Charlie and make sure I don't have prior plans," I say.

"Any prior plans you would have, would be with Alice and everyone," Jake points at with a smirk. "So if they can go, you can, too."

I laugh and start getting out ingredients for pasta. I might as well start cooking so dinner will be ready when Dad comes home. "You're right, so I'll check with them and let you know."

"Thanks Bells," Jake says. "I gotta run, Dad told me to be home by six thirty or no party."

"It's six fifteen."

"Eh, I set the clocks back a half hour before I left."

"Jacob Black, you sneak."

"I'll fix them tonight while he's asleep. He'll never suspect a thing."

"Better get home then."

"Bye," he says, before leaving. We have an odd relationship, Jake and I. We went on a date last Saturday. I really do like him, but I'm not sure if it's serious yet.

~*!*~

"It smells good, Bella," Dad says, after he hangs up his jacket and gun. He's the chief of police here in Forks and I think he really enjoys it.

"I made your favorite," I say, setting the table.

"Pasta? That's not my favorite. My favorite is spinach and turnip soup," he says, looking at the pot on the stove. I swat him and he chuckles.

"Haha, Dad, go clean up, it's just about ready."

"Yes, ma'am." He goes upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes and I serve us the pasta, sauce and meatballs. We're close, my dad and I. We both need each other. I need his care and he needs my cooking.

"Oh, goody, time to eat," he says, coming into the kitchen and rubbing his hands together. I snicker at his behavior and take a seat at the table.

"So, Dad, I met someone today," I say after he's begun digging into his pasta and has opened his newspaper.

"Oh really? Who? How'd ya meet?"

"He's Alice's cousin."

"Oh, I like Alice, she's a very nice girl. Is her cousin as nice as her?"

"No," I say very seriously. He looks up from the paper and at me to make sure I'm being serious. We stare at each other for a few seconds before he starts flipping through the pages again.

"Well what happened? Do you want me to shoot him?"

"I'll let you know."

"Was he that bad?"

"We got into a car accident and he blamed it on me."

"A car accident!"

"It wasn't serious Dad, neither of us was hurt. But he ran a stop sign and then tried to make it out like it was my entire fault."

"What did you do?"

"Just left, but then he showed up at Alice's house and that's how I found out they're cousins. He's staying for the entire summer."

"That stinks, kiddo."

"Sure does," I say. Dad finds the comic section and I stop talking so he can concentrate and read them. They're the main reason he still gets the paper. That and so he can read about sports.

"You want seconds, Dad?" I ask when I notice his empty plate.

"Yes, please." I get up to get us both seconds. Something we have in common is our appetite.

~*!*~

"How about it, Ali, do you think you wanna go?" I ask Alice. I wasn't able to fall asleep and it was still early so I started texting Alice. She called me as soon as mentioned Jake's party.

"Of course I want to go, air head."

"Jazz, Rose and Emmett, too?"

"I'm sure they'll wanna go. Edward will, too."

"No, not Edward!" I whine, flopping back on my bed as his face pops into my head. His arrogant, lopsided smirk and his bright green eyes are infuriating.

"I can't just say 'Oh, hey Edward. I know you're supposed to be visiting and spending the summer with me, but I'm going to go to a party with my friends. Have a nice night with Cynthia.'"

"Sure you can."

"Bella." Uh oh, I recognize that tone. It's the tone Alice uses when she's getting impatient with me. The tone she uses when she knows I'll give in anyway.

"Fine, whatever, but I'm ignoring him the whole time."

"It's ten days away. Maybe by then, the two of you will have gotten over everything."

"I doubt it."

~*!*~

"Bella, wake up," Dad says, poking me in the side. I groan and stick my head under my pillow.

"I will later," I grumble.

"Alice is here," he says. I pull out my head and look at him.

"She is?"

"Yep, she says you better be awak by the time she gets up here." I sit up and stretch.

"Fine, I'm up."

"I knew you would be," Alice says. I glare at her for a moment and then smile. What is it with my friends waking me up so much?

"I have to get to work, have a nice day girls," Dad says, kissing the top of my head and leaving.

"So, Alice, what's on the agenda?" I ask, getting out of bed and making my way toward the bathroom.

"Shopping," she says, a devilish smile forming on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, I know this chapter is really short, and I know it's not Friday. I have an explanation though. I got my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and was too drugged out to write a good chapter. I hope this was suitable enough and I swear the next chapter will be on Friday. Thanks for reading and understanding.<strong>

**~EM~**


	7. Chapter 6

**EPOV**

After breakfast, Alice told me she wanted to make cupcakes. I didn't really question it. I've always enjoyed cooking and it would be something fun. I was right too, it was fun. Alice even mentioned a party and asked if I'd like to go. It seems like a good idea to me; so I said yes.

We start getting ready to wash the various bowls that we dirtied. My smile quickly fades away and I sigh. Alice looks up at me questioningly. She volunteered to wash while I dry. That still doesn't change the fact that I hate doing the dishes. It's the most boring chore one could do.

"Turn that frown upside down, Edward," Alice says, filling up the sink with soapy water.

"I hate dishes," I grumble.

"Ah, common, don't worry, be happy!"

"Nothing happy about it."

"I bet I can make you smile."

"I bet you can't." Alice doesn't say anything. Now I'm consciously trying to be aware of not smiling.

"You come shopping with me if I win," she says after a moment.

"You don't take me shopping the entire time I'm here if I win," I say.

"Deal."

"Deal." We shake hands before Alice sets about washing the dishes. We're silent and I wonder what she's plotting. The silence and seriousness of it all is almost comical. It makes my mouth twitch, but I suppress it. Maybe her plan is to win, with out doing anything at all.

"Edward," she says. I look over at her and see her holding her dripping, soaping hand up in a fist. The way people do it so that it looks like their hand is talking.

"Hm?" I mutter, uninterested. This is her best attempt? Really?

"I wanna have hot sex with you," the fist hand says. I almost drop the bowl I'm drying.

"Oh," I say, acting like I'm not paying attention. Actually, I am; I want to see where she's heading with this.

"Take me to your room," says her fist. I look at it, in all of its dripping, soapy glory and fight back the smile.

"Not now," I say, hearing the amusement in my voice. No! I will not go shopping!

"But I'm so wet," Alice's fist says. That's what finally makes me crack up laughing.

"I knew I'd win," Alice says smugly, putting her hands back to work washing the dishes. I gas for air and shake my head.

"That's not fair."

"It was fair. I made you laugh and now you have to come shopping with me. Don't be a cry baby, it won't be just us."

"Who else?"

"Rose, Em and Jazz."

"Okay, that's fine."

"Bella, too."

"Damn it!"

~*!*~

The rain comes down fast, in big fat drops. I have rain drop races on the car windows. I like to drive, but sometimes being a passenger has its advantages. Well, it does when there are things to see. In this town, though, there's pretty much nothing.

"Are you enjoying Forks?" Rose asks from the front seat. She and Jasper drove over this morning. Emmett came in his Jeep and Alice took him to go get Bella. She said she would need him to drag her out for her.

"Yeah, of course," I say. Jasper is driving and Rose is looking at me from the passenger seat. I'm sitting in the back, feeling a tad awkward.

"Y'all can say no," Jasper says. I raise an eye brow at Rose. I've noticed that they both have a Southern like accent, but I haven't asked yet.

"Our dad is from New York," she says. "We were born there, but moved to Texas shortly after, 'cause that's where Mom is from. We lived there until the summer before we started high school."

"Oh," I say, nodding as if that sums everything up; actually, it kind of does. I glance at Jasper's Yankees hat and finally make the connection.

"So what about you?" Rose asks me. We stop at a red light and I look out the window.

"My parents are from Boston," I say, looking back at Jasper and Rose. She's still turned around in her seat, looking at me. Jasper stares straight ahead.

"They met at a Red Sox game," I say slowly. Sure enough, I see Jasper's hands tighten on the steering wheel. Rose shoots me a nervous smile.

"That sounds cute; what's the story behind that?"

"Well if you meet my mom I'm sure you'll hear it."

"Oh, tell me anyways."

"My mom was on a date. Charles was her boyfriend of about six months. He took her to the Red Sox game and they had pretty good seats. He bragged about how great they were and being able to get them because of his money. Mom didn't like it, but said nothing. Then he asked her to marry him. Every one in the surrounding seats were awing at Charles, down on one knee in the stands; but Mom didn't say anything."

"Had she already met your father?"

"No, she hadn't. However, she felt like there was some one else that she was meant to be with. Charles was too forceful with her, too mean to other people. He wasn't the kind, passionate man she had always dreamt of being with."

"Aw."

"So she said 'no'. Charles freaked out. He got up and yelled at her about making a fool of him in public. She stood up as well, crossed her arms and listened to him. Mom says he yelled about what would happen after the game when they got home. He said she would marry him. Then, after he finally stopped, Mom asked him if he was done."

Rosalie chuckles and I pause.

"Then she slapped Charles and walked away. She didn't go back either. Mom says that a part of her wondered if he would chase after her, but he didn't. So she wandered around, not knowing what to do. She wanted to see the end of the game, but had nowhere to sit."

"What did she do?" Jasper asks. I'm surprised he's been paying attention.

"She went to buy herself a Fenway frank. After she bought it, she turned around and walked into someone."

"Typical," Rose says with a laugh.

"Yep, it was Peter."

"Wait, your dad's name is Peter? That's funny; Alice's dad's name is Peter."

"It was Alice's dad."

"Oh."

"Jeez, Rose, just let him go on with the story," Jasper says, laughing.

"Peter apologized for ruining her frank. He bought her a new one and then offered her to come sit with him and a friend. He said he had been on his way to buy them some drinks when he saw what had happened between her and Charles. Mom was a bit embarrassed at first, but warmed up to him and decided he was nice. Peter said that one of their friends had to leave early so she could have his seat."

"And she went with him," Rose says.

"Rose! Stop interrupting," Jasper says impatiently. I think he's getting into the story.

"Yep, she went with him. His seats ended up being even better than Charles's. They were front row, which was a big deal. When they stopped at the row a blond man stood up and started joking with Peter. Mom says she didn't really see much of him, but figured he was the other friend that Peter was with.

"Then Peter said, 'Carlisle, this is Esme. She just left her jack ass boyfriend… no offense Es… and I offered to let her sit with us. It's the least I can do since I walked into her and made her drop her frank.'

"Mom laughed and told him that it was no offense at all and she was the one who walked into him. Then she was in front of Carlisle and she got a good look at him. He was staring at her; not saying anything. She didn't say anything either. They just stared at each other for a long time before Carlisle smiled and said, 'Nice to meet you, Esme.'

"So you can pretty much guess the rest, Mom sat with Uncle Peter and Dad and after the game, she and Dad kept in touch. They got married a year and a half later. My older brother Masen was born and after I was born, Dad got a new job in Chicago, so we moved," I finish the story just as Jasper pulls into the parking lot at the mall.

"That was so romantic," Rose sighs.

"Well what about you, how'd you meet Emmett?" I ask.

"He pants-ed Jasper our first day of school and I punched him in the face," she says.

"Good times," Jasper says before he gets out of the car.

"So who's this brother you mentioned?" Rose asks as we walk toward the mall. It's raining less now. There's only a light drizzle and it's some what refreshing.

"Masen," I sigh.

"Oh, I sense some sibling rivalry. So, how old is he?"

"He's going to be a senior in college."

"What college?"

"Boston College."

"Aw, he went home for college! That's so cute."

"He's a know-it-all, super star football player that hogs all the attention."

"Foot ball? Emmett would like him. What position is he?"

"Running back."

"Emmett's a quarter back," she says. I look at Jasper, walking a bit ahead of us.

"What about him, he play foot ball?" I ask.

"Hell, no," Jasper says.

"Oh, jeez, now you've done it," Rose mumbles. Jasper slows down so we catch up to him.

"I play baseball," he says proudly.

"Oh really, what position?"

"Batter."

"Cool. I've played, mostly as an in fielder, though."

"I pitch occasionally, that is, when Alice can't play."

"Alice?"

"Yeah, she was on the school team; baseball team, not softball team. She fought to be on the team and really deserved it. She was our star pitcher. Everyone was afraid of her too, considering she wouldn't hesitate to kick our asses."

"Cool," I say; I notice Alice skipping toward us. She hadn't told me she was on the baseball team. I smile at her, and then behind her I see Bella, being dragged forward by Emmett. Our eyes meet and I frown. Bella glares at me. Well I have news for her; she's not the only one who knows how to glare.

* * *

><p><strong>There you all are. So, how'd I do? Good? Bad? Isn't Esme and Carlisle's story just adorable? I think so. I'm a Red Sox fan, my self so I had to give them a shout out. <strong>_**Disclaimer- nothing recognizable in this chapter belongs to me. No profit is made, blah blah blah**_**. New chapter, next Friday; reviews make me happy. =)**

**~EM~**


	8. Chapter 7

**BPOV**

I walk with Rose; our arms are linked and we're talking about Jake's party. Rose says I must find the 'perfect shirt'.

"Not too slutty though, just enough to show a little cleavage," she says.

"Like that one," I say, staring at the one she's wearing.

"No! Sluttier than this one."

"Is 'sluttier' a word?"

"I don't know; you're the one who wants to be a writer, my dear."

"Touché."

"How is that a 'touché' moment?"

"I don't know." I watch Alice as she stops, stares at a window display and runs into a store. Behind me I hear Jasper, Emmett and Edward talking about baseball. I know Jasper plays first base and pitches a little; his passion is batting though.

"Did you see the shirt Edward was wearing?" Rose asks as we follow Alice into the store that she disappeared in.

"Yeah," I sigh, thinking about the Red Sox shirt I got a glimpse of when he unzipped his sweatshirt.

"He says his parents met at a Red Sox game."

"Cute." I can practically _see_ the sarcasm dripping off the word.

"It really is, you should have him tell you the story."

"I'd rather not."

"Oh testy."

"Bella, try this on! Rose, try these!" Alice suddenly separates Rose and me and shoves clothes into our hands. I walk toward the dressing rooms. This should be qualified as abuse. I'm going to need a double session with Sue after today.

"I don't know Alice, does it come in red?" I ask as I step out of the dressing room. Emmett wolf whistles and I flip him off.

"Hey, that wasn't for you," Emmett says, throwing up his hands in an 'I'm innocent' or 'I surrender' way before nodding toward the dressing room Rose went into. I look over and see her standing in front of her door, wearing a short green dress.

"Matches your eyes, babe," Emmett says, Rose winks at him and I notice Jasper tense up.

"Anyways," Alice says, "No, Bella, you're not getting red, blue looks amazing on you."

"But I like red," I pout.

"Really? We didn't notice," Rose says. "You only have a red motorcycle."

"And truck," adds Jasper.

"And shoes," Alice contributes.

"And iPod," Jasper says.

"I get it!" I exclaim. I glare at them and sigh before crossing my arms.

"Whatever, so am I getting it?" I ask Alice. I don't really decide when it comes to whether or not I get something. Alice is the master mind behind that.

"You should," Edward says, I stare at him in shock. He even looks shocked that he said it. This whole time, he's kept to himself. I narrow my eyes, wondering what he's playing at.

"Yes, you're getting it," Alice says, before pushing me back into my dressing room. We stay in the store for another hour before we finally make off with our purchases. I only got the one dress.

Suddenly, I smell ultimate goodness and can't help the moan that passes my lips. I start walking faster and hear Emmett say, "Oh fuck, she smelled it."

"Bella, stop," Alice says. I start running, they'll never catch me alive! Hard arms wrap around me and I let out an 'ompf' sound. Shit, they got me. No matter, I'll just continue on my way.

"Bella, darlin', please stop dragging me," Jasper says, still trying his best to hold on to me.

"Never!"

"Honey, you gotta admit you have a problem."

"Don't 'darlin'' and 'honey' me, Jasper, I'm getting a soft pretzel!"

"Seriously? All this is about a soft pretzel?" I hear Edward say.

"It's not just a soft pretzel! There are also little soft pretzel bites and they're so damn good; especially when you get the honey mustard dipping sauce," I whine as Emmett steps in front of me. I'm so close! I can see the stand.

"Bella, this is an intervention," Alice says, putting her hand on my shoulder.

"But they're so good," I whimper.

"How good?" Edward asks.

"Fucking orgasmic," I say, peering around Emmett to look longingly at the soft pretzels.

"Well in that case," he says, before sauntering over to the stand. Is he actually getting me a soft pretzel? Is this a truce? A peace offering? Edward walks back with the pretzel in his hand and stops in front of me. Jasper slowly lets me go and Edward and I stare at each other. Then, Edward takes a huge bite of the pretzel.

"Jack ass," I say, before lunging for his pretzel. I feel Jasper grab me again and glare at Edward as he chuckles and steps out of my reach.

"Common', Bells, I'll get you a strawberry milkshake," Rose says, taking my hand and starting to pull me away.

"With a cherry?" I ask, glancing back at Edward's half eaten pretzel and then at Rose.

"Sure, we'll even give you our cherries," Alice says. Extra cherries?

"Okay," I say, letting them lead me toward the food court where the Dairy Queen is located.

~*!*~

"Bye Belly-Button!" Alice yells as I get out of Emmett's car and walk toward my front door. I wave and hear them drive away. It's started raining again, so I pull up my hood and jog to the front door. I nearly lose my balance on a patch of soggy grass, but manage to make it inside without falling.

I take off my jacket and shake out my hair. Then I toe off my shoes and look around the house. Empty.

_Went to get Chinese food. You were taking to long. Love, Dad_ read the note in the kitchen. I laugh and open the fridge. There are cold cuts. I can make myself a sandwich. But first, I need tunes. I skip to the living room and turn on the stereo, my perkiness surprising even me. I glance at the shopping bags I left at the bottom of the stairs and figure they can go upstairs later.

"Teenage dreams, in a teenage circus," I sing to myself, as I spread mustard on my bread.

I love this mixed CD Alice made for me. Obviously, I burned it onto my iTunes account so I could have all the songs on my iPod, but I also listen to it in my truck. It was in the stereo because last weekend Alice and Rose came over and we had a 'mini dance party'. Suddenly, I break into an air guitar. The song that just came it kicks ass, it really does.

"Glaciers melting in the dead of night and the superstars sucked into the super massive," I sing, as I finish making my sandwich.

I hold my plate and contemplate where to eat. I could eat on the couch, or in the kitchen. Then there's also my room. I guess I'll eat in my room. Why not right? It's not like I'm having a sloppy joe. It's just a turkey sandwich. I balance my plate in one hand, pick up my shopping bags with the other and head upstairs. I put everything in my room, run downstairs to shut off the music and then go back to my little sanctuary.

Taking a bite out of my sandwich, I wake up my laptop. I chew thoughtfully as I browse around on Facebook. It's not as if I have a lot of friends. At most I have, twenty friends. I only caved and got one so I could communicate with Rose, Alice, Jasper and Emmett easier. I notice my mom's latest status update 'dinner with Phil & Ness'. Uh, gag me.

In reality, I shouldn't be so bitter about my mom having her new family. It's not like they're a new part of my life. She left my dad when I was one year old. The very next year she married Phil and before I knew it, I had a half sister; Renesmee. I was too young to talk my mom out of choosing the name. I was also too young to be able to pronounce it, so that's where her nick names 'Nessie' and 'Ness' come from. So really, they've always been around.

Nessie is fifteen and we're not exactly close. We were, once. But then I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and after _it_ happened, she gave up on me. When I really needed her to prove she could be my sister, she wanted nothing to do with me. That's why I didn't care when Phil got his new job and they went off to live in Boston; sending me to live with Dad. I wanted to come here, I suggested it.

I find myself on Nessie's Facebook page. I almost didn't friend request her. But after Mom found me on Facebook, I knew it was only a matter of time before she did. A part of me didn't want to hurt her feelings by not wanting to be her friend. However, after she accepted my request, she chatted me one line 'this doesn't change how I feel'. Then she logged off and hasn't talked to me since. Fine by me; I don't need to talk to that brat.

I reach for my sandwich, but notice it isn't there anymore. Sighing, I sit back in my chair and thing about how fucked my life has become. _It _happened two years ago. I look at the calendar on my wall; two years ago as of yesterday. Oh great, two bad things to associate with that date; _it _and meeting Edward.

Was it really my fault? I ask myself one of the many questions Sue uses, to get me to open up. No, it wasn't my fault. Honest.

You see, I was angry. Reality was actually setting in and I was sick of being my 'mom's other daughter'. Nessie got all the attention. Mom, Phil and Ness, they were a family. I was the 'add on'. So I started hanging out with the wrong people.

To be fair, I didn't think they were the wrong people in the beginning. But when I realized who they truly were, I didn't leave them like the old me, the _smart_ me, would have. The bitter, angry me, stayed. I drank with them, smoked with them and vandalized things with them. James, Laurent and Victoria told me that I'd be safe with them; part of their family.

One day in spring, James kissed me. It was weird. It wasn't how I imagined my first kiss, but I contributed the awkwardness to my inexperience. We starting doing things together, but never told anyone. I thought that our relationship was normal. However, when school let out and as summer began, I started to notice that it wasn't. He was obsessive and rough.

It was the first week of summer vacation, the fourth day, to be exact. I went out that night; technically, I snuck out. Mom and Phil didn't know and even though Ness saw, she said she wouldn't tell.

I made my way to our usual rendezvous. A wall with the word 'nomad' spray painted on it. James thought it was cool, I thought it was dumb, but kept my mouth shut. I wondered if Victoria and Laurent would join us tonight. They hadn't been hanging out with us recently. I leaned against the wall until I saw a girl with bushy red hair walking toward me. I waved at Victoria and as she came closer I saw she had dyed the bottom, under part of her hair black.

"Nice hair," I said to her. She just scowled and leaned on the wall next to me.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, James and Laurent joined us. I noticed the beer they carried and figured that was the reason for their delay. We went to a park and sat under a tree, passing around the drinks.

"Come on babe," James said after awhile. He stood up and I figured he wanted to come somewhere private to get 'down and dirty'; his way of calling what we did something other than 'sex'. I stood up and when I heard a gasp, I looked over and saw Victoria had stood up too. James looked like he didn't care at all about what was happening.

"You bastard," Victoria spat, before lunging. At first, I thought she was aiming for me. Everything was so blurry. Then I realized she was after James. She punched him in the face and he dropped. I think that maybe, he was expecting her to go for me as well. Later on I would realize that that was a fetish of his; watching girl fights. So was being a liar and a cheater.

I ran home, and snuck back into my room. I cried at first. I think Ness heard me and came in, but I pretended to be asleep.

On the sixth day of summer vacation I went to James's house. It was the first time since the night in the park that I had seen him and he had a pretty big black eye. I still went to his room with him. As we sat on his bed, making out I heard a click. James heard it too and we both turned to look at Victoria, standing in the door way with a gun. She shot James. It was like slow motion, watching her doing it and then watching him collapse. Then she aimed at me.

It was insanity. Her frizzy hair was wild, sticking in every direction. It looked like she hadn't slept in days. I got off the bed as fast as I could, but I still felt something sting my arm. I didn't look at it; instead I tackled Victoria and wrestled her gun from her. I hit her in the head with it, but she knocked it out of my hand. Neither of us had it now, but she was clever, used to being in brawls. She rolled on top of me and wrapped her hands around my neck.

The air was leaving my body. Lines blurred and I struggled to focus. I felt myself trying to kick her off of me. Desperately, I looked around and saw the gun. It wasn't in her line of sight, but I could reach it; barely. As her fingers tightened on my neck, mine tightened on the gun. I closed my eyes, it was the end for me; I could feel it. However, I could also feel my arm, raising the gun and my finger, pulling the trigger.

I stare at my laptop screen, the screen saver has turned on and it mesmerizes me. I shake my head and snap out of my trance. I move my finger on the touchpad and the screen returns to normal. But will my life return to normal? Probably not. I killed Victoria. I feel guilty for James; he's alive, but he'll never be the same.

The neighbors heard the shooting that day and called the cops. They said I was unconscious when they got there, but the gun was in my hand. That was incriminating me for both James and Victoria. I had been grazed on my left arm; the bullet that got James went straight through his shoulder. Victoria… that was a face shot. They said she probably died instantly.

Things after that went crazy. It was in the newspapers all summer. My mom was ashamed to be associated with me, I could tell. She called my dad and begged him to come down to Arizona and help her 'handle me'. Phil didn't weigh in with an opinion, but Nessie was disgraced. Her friends teased her for being the sister of a murderer. She told me one night that I disgusted her. It didn't matter when James said Victoria shot him and my 'self defense' story was determined true. Nessie and my mom still couldn't look me in the eye.

During all the investigating, my other crimes came out in the open. So even though the murder was self defense, I did go to a juvenile delinquent center. I spent a week in juvy, for vandalism of public property. I guess that added shame to the family.

I go to my own Facebook page and stare at my profile picture of me on my motorcycle. Part of me getting to come here, was agreeing to go to a therapist. After I came back from juvy, my mom determined that I was insane. Which may be true. I update my status to '_So before they bring you down. You've gotta stand for something or you'll fall for anything. Fall for anything._'

It could be worse, right? Yeah, I'll just keep telling myself that. I notice the little red notification pop up and I click it. 'Nessie Dywer likes your status'.

Cue, Ashton Kutcher popping out and exclaiming "You've just been punk'd!"

Wait, actually, I wouldn't mind Ashton being in my bedroom. Come out, come out wherever you are Mr. Kutcher!

The popping sound that Facebook chat makes when you get a message makes me jump and my hand flies to my chest.

"Mother fucker," I gasp, looking to the bottom corner of the screen to see who messaged me. Alice.

_Wanna sleep over, Belly-Boo?_ She asked. I chuckle and look at the clock. I could sleep over, I guess.

_Maybe, I'll have to ask Dad. He's not home right now… _I say.

_Want me to text him?_

_Alice, it's very weird that you have his number._

_Not that weird._ I dial my Dad and sit back in my chair.

_Yes it is._ I message back to her just as my dad answers his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Bella, what do you want?"

"Gee, someone's in a rush."

"I'm at the restaurant."

"So?"

"Sue will be back from the bathroom soon," he says slowly and I hear myself squeal.

"That's so cute! Okay, I'll make it quick, Alice was wondering if I could sleep over tonight."

"Sure, honey, just be careful going over there, the roads are wet."

"I know, Dad."

"Text me when you get there, too."

"I will, promise. Have a good night with Sue."

"G'night, Bells."

"Night, Dad."

I hang up and return to my computer. I send Alice the message _he said yes, let me pack and I'll be there in 30 mins. _Then I get up and start packing. Half way into it, I realize that spending the night with Alice, also means spending the night with Edward.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, yeah I know it's not Friday. Y'all must be like. <strong>_**'What is this? This isn't Kansas. Where's Toto? I'm scared!'**_** Just kidding. Anyways, last Friday I had a party to attend, so I was unable to update and just got this chapter done today.**

**As you can see, this was a pretty important chapter. You all know what happened to Bella. You've seen into her head, and know why she's kind of insane. You also know a bit more about her mom. Yeah, in this story Nessie is her half sister, just get used to it. So, thoughts? Did you expect it?**

**Also, I made a trailer for this story. Link will be on the profile. Songs mentioned were 'We Are Golden' by Mika, 'Supermassive Black Hole' by Muse and 'Fall For Anything' by The Script. So I don't own those, nor do I own Twilight and any other recognizable thing above… like Facebook.**

**And if any of you were wondering, a new chapter will be up on Friday (I hope). Reviews are appreciated.**

**~EM~**


End file.
